Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-05-12
1wo VETERANS MEET.
One Of Them Learns That He Was Dcl
and Nearly Buried Years Ago.

James Armstrong of this 6lAce, avet-
eran Of the Mexican war, s'and although
Twas glad to have it it has rather
broken the thread Of my "reminiscences
Of the past forty years.
"You see l went to Mexico with the
Second Regiment Of Pennsylvania vol
unteers, being Lieutenant In company
E. One Of the privates in the Company
was a young man named William R.
Shields. He was from Greensburg, too.
On the march from Perota TO Puebla
Shields became very sick When we
reached Puebla we took possession Of
an old monastery there, and used il as
hospital. When we put Shields in the
hospital he was unconscious, and we all
felt that it was only q matterof few
days when we would have to bury him.
Sure enough. one day the surgeon, q
young chap from North Carolina, re-
ported that Shields was dead we laid
him out on o sort OF catafalque on one
Of the monastery porches, having placed
the body in coffin. "A detail was
ordered to dig his grave and attend to
the interment. We had plenty pf time
and could do such things decently Just
then. While poor Shields grave was
being dug one of the old monks Of the
monastery came to the coffin. which
wasn't closed yet, and began to mum
BILE prayers over the body. The monk
was in the middle Of his lnunblihg.
when all of sudden he threw up his
hands and exclaimed in Spanish;
"'This man is not deadr
"Of course we thought the poor monk
was crazy, but we couldn't quiet his
frantic protestations that we wereabout
to bury live man, and his appeal To
be permitted to have the body carried
to his apartment SO that he could ex
pertinent on 1t were 80 earnest that tc
satisfy the noisy old chap we had the
body. coffin. and all carried to the
monks room. We thought weld lei
him satisfy himself that Shields wa,
about as good dead man rs he hat
ever seen, and then fetch the body bacl
and 90 on with the funeral II h,
hadn't happened to come along, though
Just then, Shields would have been un
der ground within the next t,yent,
minutes.
"While the monk was ernerimentin,
with the body, the command receive
orders to leave Puebla at once an
march to the CITY of Mexico. In tn
hurry and hustle Of preparing for til
march we had no time to think abor
, the funeral, and left Shields body to b
. disposed Of by the nsonks.t Fho reg
ment went to the Mexican capital, an
many and many q time after that wcf
r dered how long those monks kept tn
corpse before they gave up and burie
it. fa
"Well, the other day I was in Kuhn
: law office, when hearty-looking ol
: gentleman came IN. tai
"'Ah, Colonel says Kuhn to mi
'here's another Mexican veteran
Colonel Armstrong; says he, 'shal
u hands with Mr.. Shields--William
: Shields, of Connellsville. He was
Mexico. too s4,is ss.
"The name rather startled me, bu
0 OF course, only for moment. sg
. 'ShieldsP' says I. 4 had man
s my company named William
= Shields says I. Company Z, Secor
. Pennsylvania volunteers.
% 81 was the man, says he. 'Th
: was my regiment and company. II
! Licutenant's name was Armstrong
Z says he.
4 "'Well,' says /, considerably sta
10 gered, If you're the William Shiel,
that mean, the last time / saw Y,
you were dead and in your coffin wa
ing to be buried, forty years ago Il
n spring, at Puebla.'" M s
70 "I was very sick at Pucbla,' sa
Mr.. Shields, staggered considerat
= himself, but I have no recollection
: having been dead and coflined.
"4)f coursc NOT, saws I .bnt y
must have heard about ;t,
".Novor ,,r,;, now !, .ovo ho
m wv, go. ~
NN IA IIs L